Spring-fitting machine.



L. F. TORREY.

SPRING FITTING MACHINE.

APPLlCATION FILED SEPT. 11 1915.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEET L. F. TORREY.

SPRING FITTING MACHINE. APPLICATION FILED SEPT. I, 1915.

1,237,415. v PatentedAug. 21,1917.

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LEVI IE. TURKEY, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO.

SPRING-FITTING MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1917.

Application filed. September 7, 1915. Serial No. 49,254.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1,.LEVI F. TORREY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Spring-Fitting Machines, of which I hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and usethe same.

v The objects of the invention are to provide improved and automatically acting mechanisms for fitting, straightening and oil tempering the plates from which vehicle springs are made, and particularly those for automobiles.

By means of this device three operations are performed automatically in one machine and constant rehandling of the plates for separate treatment, in forming, straightening fitting and tempering and reheating is avoided in the production of the springs, thus. greatly simplifying the process and improving the product of the machine.

In this machine the plates from which the springs are made are first positively pressed into their final shape and while still hot enough to temper are immersed in the oil tempering bath, and when removed from the machine are in perfect condition to be assembled and finished for delivery or immediate use. ,p

The inventionlincludes longitudinally adjustable shaping fingers having thin plates engaging extremities which are depressed to make it possible to immerse their ends in the tempering bath while the plates are still compressed thereby. o

The invention further includes means for holding the edges of the plates rigidly while hot and while being compressed by the fingers to prevent subsequent Warping or twisting out of line when they become cool.

It includes means for exerting a powerful pressure upon one set of forming fingers to compress the plate against an opposed or complementary set of fingers. Y 9 It includes means for raising and lowering an oil reservoir to immersethe compressed plates therein, and means for obtaining a constant renewal of oil inthe oil reservoir to prevent a rise in the tempera ture of the oil.

The invention further includes a depending transverse table upon which the work rests while being formed into shape, and in the various features ofnovelty and inven-. tion and combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter described, shown in the accompanying drawings and specifically pointed out in the claims. i

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a plan view of the machine; Fig. 2 is a side elevation; Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sec tion on line 33 of Fig. 1; Fig.4 isa transverse section on line 1, -1 Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a pair of opposed fingers having depending and reduced extremities for engaging the work and showing an adjustable keeper for the work; Fig. 6 is a perspective view" of the lower extremity of one of the normal fingers. 1

In these views A is a level bed plate supported upon a convenient frame A. The bed plate is provided with a transverse vertical opening B intermediate of its ends.

Upon the bed plate are shown movable carriage plates C and D respectively one of which is fixed and the other D is movable toward and from the other.

Thecarriage C is secured in place by means of bolts or studs 0, 0. These bolts or studs extend through transverse bars, L, L

into raised portions of the frame A as shown in Fig. 1 and the bars retain the carriage in position.

The carriage D is reciprocable upon the bed plate by means of the powerful toggle joint or links E, E and a connecting rod F and a crank G upon a shaft H, which are operated to move the carriage D by means of the lever I, to increase or diminishv the amount of opening between the sets of pres sure fingers K, K, which are mounted upon the respective carriages C and D.

The outer extremity, of the toggle links are pivoted respectively in the bed plate at e, andin the movable carriage D at e, to give the required movement. Y

When the links are straightened in line and are exerting the maximumamount of pressurethey become rigid and cannot be released except by means of the lever I.

The bed plate is provided with a rigid depending flange A and horizontal platform A in the opening B. Upon this platform as a support the plates J from which the springs are shaped rest upon their edges.

Preferably only one plate is treated at one time.

K, K are complementary series of parallel plate shaping fingers or bars, one series being adjustably secured upon each carriage plate. The bars L and L serve to retain the sets of fingers K and K upon the carriages, in their adjusted positions.

The opposed extremities of the forming fingers are dropped to move over the platform A and'the reduced horizontal formingends 70, 76, extend horizontally over the platform. The greater number of these extremities are of substantially the width of the plate to be compressed, but upon one set of fingers are adjustably secured the keepers M, M, which press upon the upper edge of the plate while being formed into shape and prevent it from becoming warped or of irregular shape while undergoing the pressure and the subsequent tempering bath.

This is an important novelty in the use of this machine, and avoids the separate handling and treatment of each plate to straighten it after pressure and make it conform to the required curve.

It will be understood that the extremities of the series of fingers K, K, in one side of the opening B are arranged to follow the desired contour for the spring and are then clamped in place by means of bars L, L, but the complementary series K, K, are not tightly clamped in place, but move in guides against the abutting springs N, N, sleeved over rods N, N which are secured in bars 0, O, adjustably slidable upon the carrier plate by means of longitudinal screws 1?, P passing through the bar P on the carriage D. 1

By this means the pressure of one series of fingers is made resilient to assist in conforming perfectly to the contour of the other series of fingers.

Similar adjusting screws P, I passing through a bar P are employed to adjust the position of the finger bars K, also similar screws P P are employed to adjust the lower portions of the fingers and pass through the frame at A The object in depressing the platform A is to permit the immersion of the heated plate in avat of tempering oil.

In the figures Q is a vat of oil which can be raised by means of the steam or compressed air actuated piston in the cylinder R. Alever R turns on the steam or air and is operated when the hot plate is compressed between the series of fingers.

A circulating system for the oil is employed to keep it cool and the oil enters at 1', and overflows at r.

A pump S is employed to control the circulation. I

Having described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

I 1. In a spring fitting machine, a bed plate having a transverse opening intermediate of its ends, a platform secured to said bed plate dropped below the upper level of said bed plate, in said openin a series of parallel finger bars adjustably secured upon said bed plate upon one side of said transverse opening and provided with depending extremities horizontally extended at their lower ends, an opposed series of parallel finger bars movable over said bed plate upon the opposite side of said transverse slot, and provided with con'lplementary depending extremities, the opposed lower ends of said series of fingers adapted to engage a spring, and overhanging keepers on some of the finger bars in one series preventing vertical distortion of the plates while under lateral pressure.

2. In a spring fitting machine, in combination, a bed plate, a depressed platform thereon, intermediate of its ends, a series of longitudinally adjustable finger bars on said bed plate, on each side of said depressed portion, complementary gripping extremities for said series of finger bars, means for longitudinally moving one series of finger bars toward and from the other series, overhanging means for preventing vertical movement of the plate from which the spring is formed while under lateral pressure to prevent distortion thereof, and means for immersing the plate while gripped between the series of finger bars in a tempering bath.

3. In a spring fitting machine, in combination, a bed plate, opposed series of parallel finger bars having depending extremities, one series movable upon said bed plate, a depressed platform under said depressed extremities upon which said spring rests, a receptacle for a tempering bath, and means for raising said receptacle to immerse said spring therein while gripped between said depending extremities of said fingers.

at. In a spring fitting machine, in combination, a bed plate, series of opposed paral lel finger bars upon said bed plate, and having depending gripping extremities, a depressed platform beneath said depressed extremities of said fingers, over which one se ries of said finger bars are movable, a re ceptacle for a tempering bath, and means for raising said receptacle to immerse said spring therein while gripped between said opposed series of depending extremities of said fingers, means for reciprocating one series of fingers and for applying power thereto.

5. In a spring fitting machine, in combination, a bed plate, series of opposed parallel finger bars thereon, one series movable upon said bed plate, both series having de pending extremities, a depressed platform underneath said depressed extremities, a receptacle for a tempering bath underneath said depressed platform and extremities,

and means for raising said receptacle to immerse said depressed extremities and spring therein, means for reciprocating said movable series of fingers, and for applying power thereto, andmeans for resiliently resisting the pressure upon said movable series of fingers.

6. In a spring fitting machine, in combination, a bed plate, series of opposed parallel gripping finger bars upon said bed plate, and having depending extremities, one series adjustably secured upon said bed plate, the other series reeiprocable thereon, a depressed platform upon which the spring rests, and over which said depending extremities move, a receptacle for a tempering bath, and means for raising said receptacle toimmerse said plate therein while gripped between said depending extremities of said fingers, and overhanging member attached to the'fixed series of fingers for engaging the edge of said spring to prevent distortion thereof while in the tempering bath.

7. In a spring fitting machine, in combination, a bed plate, series of opposed parallel finger bars movable upon said bed plate, and having complementary depending extremities adapted to grip the spring between them, a depressed platform for the spring over which said depending extremities move, a receptacle for a tempering bath, and means for raising said receptacle to immerse said spring and gripping extremities of said fingers therein, and means for providing a circulation of tempering fluid in said receptacle.

8. In a spring fitting machine, in combination, a bed plate, a depressed platform therein upon which the spring rests, a series of adjustably fixed fingers upon said platform, said fingers having depressed gripping extremities, a second series of fingers movable toward and away from said first mentioned series, said fixed and movable series of fingers provided with complementary gripping extremities, adjacent to said depressed platform, and retaining members projecting from the depressed extremities of said fixed fingers, and vertically adjustable therein.

In testimony whereof, I hereunto set my hand this 23 day of Aug, 1915.

LEVI F. TOR-REY.

In presence of- LAD E. KnnJcI, WM. M. MONROE.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

